Minister for Education Norma Foley TD has today, 10 July, announced that she has invited the OECD to conduct a review of Ireland’s Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) resource allocation policy. The aim of the OECD review is to provide an independent, expert opinion on the current resource allocation model for the DEIS programme and, drawing on international examples, inform a policy approach for an equitable distribution of supplementary resources to support students at risk of educational disadvantage attending all schools, both DEIS and non-DEIS.
The OECD’s Strength Through Diversity: Education for Inclusive Societies Project will be jointly funded by the Department of Education and the European Commission, through its Learning Lab initiative.

Minister Foley said: “I strongly believe that no child should be forgotten about or left behind, irrespective of their own or broader circumstances. With that in mind I am pleased to be announcing this OECD review, which will provide an independent expert opinion on how DEIS resources are currently allocated and help to inform future policy development.“It is imperative that children at risk of educational disadvantage have an equal opportunity to succeed at school. The Department of Education is committed to supporting a quality and inclusive school system which supports all pupils and students to flourish. The Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools (DEIS) Programme is a key policy initiative in this regard, designed to address concentrated educational disadvantage in a targeted and equitable way across primary and post-primary schools.

“It is vital that when making policy decisions we consider evidence and best practice. This review will allow my Department to consider what has worked well, and what we need to continue to improve. This government has made tremendous progress through recent investments and policy measures including the extension of the DEIS programme to 322 additional schools, the continued reduction in class sizes and the landmark new policy of providing free school books for all primary school children this coming school year.

“The review will be complemented by work to review individual resources and allocation approaches, with a view to improving on their effectiveness.

“When complete, this review will help to inform policy measures towards ensuring that all schools are adequately supported to best meet the needs of students at risk of educational disadvantage.”

Comments